Keep DC home for a cold?

[niccig]

DS has a cold, no fever, but coughing and sneezing. I kept him home today, and he's going with DH to work for an hour so I can make a Dr's appt that I have to keep. I'm canceling my afternoon speech therapy session.

My question is - could he have gone to school, say if I had an exam or something. NOTE. I've never sent him to school sick, but today he doesn't meet their guidelines of over 100F temp. If DH or I were sick like this, we would still go into work/college.

[hillview]

I'd send him and I have,
/hillary

[mypa]

DS is in public kindy and they do not want kids w/active colds to come to school. I was actually really surprised by this as ALL the preschools and other programs said colds were ok as long as no fever/vomitting.

I specifically asked the teacher about this policy and it's because they don't want the coughing/sneezing to disrupt class and since there are so many kids (30+) the teachers cannot help kids w/runny noses and such. If the cold has been a few days and the active part is passed they said it was ok to come.

I'd do whatever the school policy is at your school.

[kristenk]

I have sent DD to school with a cold before. If she feels fine, no temperature, etc., I try to send her, when possible. If there's a lot of sneezing and a big-time runny nose, I keep her home because I feel like she'll infect other kids. If she's not sneezing much and she's not very congested, though, I'll give her some OTC medicine for sneezing/congestion and send her in.

[wendibird22]

If no fever and acting fine otherwise I send my girls to daycare. Usually if their noses are running w/ copious amounts of gunk or they are coughing so much it would be disruptive then they usually also either have a fever and/or are clingy, whiny, or just not themselves. In that case we keep them home.

[SnuggleBuggles]

If no fever and acting fine otherwise I send my girls to daycare. Usually if their noses are running w/ copious amounts of gunk or they are coughing so much it would be disruptive then they usually also either have a fever and/or are clingy, whiny, or just not themselves. In that case we keep them home.

exactly us too. If you stay home for a normal cold and feel fine, it's not worth it, imo.

Beth

[JBaxter]

No fever mine go. Thats what the 3 boxes of tissues & 2 bottles of hand sanitizer I send every year are for.

[BabyBearsMom]

If it is just a cold, no fever, acting fine, I would send my DD. If I kept her home every time she had a cold, I wouldn't work at all from November until April.

[carolinamama]

Simple cold goes to school. Anything with a fever or if they are really junky with the cold stays home. And of course vomiting or diarrhea stays home.

[ett]

If they're acting normal, I send them. If they're more tired than usual, I keep them home.

[roseyloxs]

If it is just a cold, no fever, acting fine, I would send my DD. If I kept her home every time she had a cold, I wouldn't work at all from November until April.

... and yet if everyone kept their kid home when they had a cold this wouldn't be the case. Its nice in theory but hard to practice in real life. I do as others have stated. If there is a fever or presence of gunk then they stay home until it passes. I am a SAHM though so its not a hardship for me. I understand its a balancing act deciding whether to miss work (again) or let your child go to school slightly ill.

[amldaley]

Yeah, I sent DD the whole week she had a wretched cold last week. DH picked her up and took her home one day as he was headed home himself with the same cold. She had no fever and was active and wanted to play, etc.

I get it that some places may not want a kid with an "active" cold there, but her cold last more than a week - I would lose my job if I had to stay home a whole week with her at this point.

[niccig]

Of course DS hasn't sneezed or coughed in hours. Sigh. I should have sent him. It would have made today much easier all round.

What OTC medicine can you give kids with a cold to help with symptoms?

Thanks.

[SnuggleBuggles]

I don't usually give anything unless it's affecting sleep or really making them miserable. Then I usually do Claritin b/c I find it helps with the stuffy nose and lasts a long time.

Beth

[hillview]

I don't usually give anything unless it's affecting sleep or really making them miserable.
I give tylenol or cough medicine.

[kristenk]

What OTC medicine can you give kids with a cold to help with symptoms?


I think I've given DD Pediacare before. There's a nasal congestion or nasal congestion/cough version. I don't medicate colds if she's staying home, but I will give her something before sending her to school if it's warranted.

[smilequeen]

For a cold I would only keep them home if they had a fever or if they were feeling badly enough to need to rest. It's just not practical to stay home throughout a cold as they tend to linger for a while.

[mypa]

Of course DS hasn't sneezed or coughed in hours. Sigh. I should have sent him. It would have made today much easier all round.

What OTC medicine can you give kids with a cold to help with symptoms?

Thanks.

The only cold medicine that seems to really work for DS is what's in Sudafed decongestant, the real stuff you get behind the pharmacy counter where you show your ID. It's hard to find them in stock sometimes, but when I do, I stock up on a couple of bottles, in grape flavor from CVS. I pair that w/chewable (grape flavor) antihistamine (CVS brand, also hard to find) to help w/sleep. During the day I only use the decongestant as needed.

[Rainbows&Roses]

The only cold medicine that seems to really work for DS is what's in Sudafed decongestant, the real stuff you get behind the pharmacy counter where you show your ID. It's hard to find them in stock sometimes, but when I do, I stock up on a couple of bottles, in grape flavor from CVS. I pair that w/chewable (grape flavor) antihistamine (CVS brand, also hard to find) to help w/sleep. During the day I only use the decongestant as needed.

Yes the real Sudafed is the only thing that works on DD. DH even had a pharmacist tell him the replacement Sudafed does not work.

[Rainbows&Roses]

... and yet if everyone kept their kid home when they had a cold this wouldn't be the case. .

Yup, what a wonderful world it might be.

We homeschool, but I couldn't believe one event we went to as part of our homeschool group (not a big deal event either) that a woman brought her super snotty 10 year old boy and proceeded to call him over multiple times to wipe his nose. Gross. And DD did get sick a few days after this event.